Boot



Aug. 30, 1932. J. T. CROWLEY BOOT Filed March 21, 1931 for overcomingthese disadvantages.

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 uirunsrars JOHN T. CROWLEY, OF LAMBERTVILLE, NEWJERSEY Booze Application .filed. March 21, 1931. Serial No. 524,385.

In many occupations the persons engaged are compelled to stand or walkin water or wet grass for many hours at a time and, except in warmclimates, some means for protection against wetand cold is necessary.

My invention is especially designed for duck hunters. As is well known,the season for duck hunting is in cold weather and men engaged in thissport havealways been troubled with cold feet. It has been mostunsatisfactory to use boots two or three sizes larger than their feet inorder to make room for extra pairs of heavy socks.

Numerous expedients have been devised One of these expedients consistsin lining rubber boots withfieece or other soft and warm material. Thisis fairly satisfactory until the fleece becomes wet or soiled byperspiration or by mud and dirt from the outside. The fieeceliningcannot be removed and dried, and the boot becomes not onlyuncomfortable, but even dangerous.

Felt boots or sockets are warm as long as they are dry, but when wetthey have all the objections of fleece-lined boots. If rubber boots arepulled over the felt boots, they have the advantages of being warm, dryand removable,but the discomfort almost outweighs these advantages.Neither the boots nor the felt socks being made for each other, theydiffer widely in styles and shapes, and the user, in order to have apair of rubber boots that he can draw over the inner socks or boots,must select a pair much larger than ly wear out.

My inventior includes inner boots or socks of soft and warm material andouter boots that closely lit the inner ones so that they may be pulledon or off the feet as onepiece, but which may, if desired, be separatedfrom each other.

Footwear to be worn next to the feet, or with only a light pair ofsocks, is now made in such a variety of shapes and sizes that theordinary person can find a pair that fits him comfortably, and havingfound such a pair, he can identify it and get another pair by givingsize and description.

My invention contemplates the manufacture of inner boots or socks instandard sizes, properly numbered or otherwise identified, together withouter boots made in sizes and shapes to fit the external surfaces of theinner ones and numbered or identified the same as the correspondingboots or socks which they are made to fit.

To this end I build a tree or form for each standard size of boot, ofthe same size and shape as the outer surface of the sock. This form istherefore the same as it would be if made for the sock, with allowancefor the thickness of the latter. After the boot is vulcanized, thelining is inserted and secured by suitable fastening means.

My invention also contemplates the provision of means for securing thetops of the socks to the inner sides of the boots. The securing means isso constructed that it not only holds the boot and its removable liningtogether, but it guides the toe of the wearer so that when he steps intothe composite boot, his foot will slip into the lining without anypossibility of being thrust between the lining and the rubber boot.

I do not limit myself to any particular material, method of manufacture,or height of the inner boot. The term boot or sock, where it refers tothe lining, is used to cover any comparatively soft and warm footcovering, ven where, by reason of its shape or construction, the namemoccasin, shoe or other term, might .be preferred by some. My preferredsock or lining is of sheeps hide, with the wool side in, and with thesole of the same material without a built heel, and

Fimade like a moccasin.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section of an inner and an outer bootconstructed according to my invention; r

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper end of the inner boot;

Fig; 3 shows fra ments of the inner and outer boots, with a astener forsecuring the upper end of the inner boot or inner lining to the outerboot,the fastener being shown in open or unfastened position; and i Fig.4 is a View of the same parts, the fastener being closed.

Similar characters desi nate the same parts in the specification andrawing.

The inner boot or sock'in my preferred form is made of the hide of asheep or lamb, the skin being designated by the numeral 10 and thefleece or wool by the character 10'. The outer'or rubber boot iscomposed of the boot portion proper 1-1, and upper leg p0"- tion 11Secured between the upper end of the boot portion and the lower end ofthe leg portion, and vulcanized thereto in the process of manufacture ofthe boot are several straps 12, to the free ends'of which are attachedthe socket portions 13, of snaps or glove fasteners, and near the upperends of the removable linings are secured the button portions 14 of thesame fasteners.

After'the linings have been inserted in the outer boots, the straps arebent down over the upper ends thereof and the buttons are snapped intothe sockets, thus holding the inner and outer portions of the boots inclose contact, and preventing collapsing of the linings and also holdingthem from being pushed down into the boots when the wearer inserts hisfeet. 1

It will be noted that one of the strap fasten-- ers is at the front ofthe boot and its lining. When the wearer steps into the boot, insteadqof catching his toe between therubber boot and the top of the lining,the toe is guided by this strap into the lining and the foot slipseasily into the lower. portion of the lining without catching on the topof the lining at an point. As the foot descends, the straps hold thelining against the pressure of the foot, which tends to draw the liningdown into the bottom ofthe boot.

What I claim is:

1'. A combination rubber boot and lining consisting of an inner boot ofwarm material, an outer boot of waterproof material in which the innerboot is separ'ably disposed,

and means on the outer boot overlapping the *top of the inner boot toprevent the collapse and downward displacement of the inner inner bootupon reception of a foot of the wearer.

3. In combination, an outer boot member, an inner boot member ofwarmth-aflording material separably disposed therein and terminatingshort of the top thereof, strap means carried by the outer boot memberoverlapping the upper end of the inner boot member and separatelysecured to the inner boot member, said strap means functioning toprevent collapse and downward displacement of the inner boot member uponreception of a foot of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand.

JOHN T. CROWLEY.

